Article abstract
Nature Nanotechnology 2, 121 - 128 (2006)
Published online: 5 February 2007 | doi:10.1038/nnano.2006.206
Subject Categories: Nanobiotechnology | Nanofluidics
A patterned anisotropic nanofluidic sieving structure for continuous-flow separation of DNA and proteins
Jianping Fu1,4, Reto B. Schoch2,3,4, Anna L. Stevens3, Steven R. Tannenbaum3 & Jongyoon Han2,3
Abstract
Microfabricated regular sieving structures hold great promise as an alternative to gels to improve the speed and resolution of biomolecule separation. In contrast to disordered porous gel networks, these regular structures also provide well defined environments ideal for the study of molecular dynamics in confining spaces. However, the use of regular sieving structures has, to date, been limited to the separation of long DNA molecules, however separation of smaller, physiologically relevant macromolecules, such as proteins, still remains a challenge. Here we report a microfabricated anisotropic sieving structure consisting of a two-dimensional periodic nanofluidic filter array. The designed structural anisotropy causes different-sized or -charged biomolecules to follow distinct trajectories, leading to efficient separation. Continuous-flow size-based separation of DNA and proteins, as well as electrostatic separation of proteins, was achieved, demonstrating the potential use of this device as a generic molecular sieving structure for an integrated biomolecule sample preparation and analysis system.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Biological Engineering Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
Correspondence to: Jongyoon Han2,3 e-mail: jyhan@mit.edu
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